JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 12, 2022) – Dr. Trena Paulus of East Tennessee State University has been selected as a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Humanities and Social Sciences for 2022-23.
Paulus is a professor in the Research Division in the Quillen College of Medicine Department of Family Medicine, director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities in the Honors College, and an affiliate faculty member of the Applied Social Research Laboratory at ETSU.
As a Fulbright Scholar, Paulus will head to Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poznan, Poland, for a six-month appointment in 2023. While there, she will work with the Faculty of English to identify qualitative research methods relevant to that community and what methodological and technology innovations may still be needed. She will work with faculty and students to design, develop and co-teach a baccalaureate-level course in qualitative research methods for students in language and linguistics. In addition, she will provide mentoring and workshops on using qualitative data analysis software and offer a seminar for a new AMU program in medical humanities on how to apply qualitative interviewing skills to patient-centered communication in health care settings to improve patient outcomes.
Paulus sought this collaboration after giving a guest lecture at AMU as part of a series, “Challenges and affordances of qualitative methodologies,” an initiative of the newly founded Institute for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities, and discovering mutual areas of interest with AMU officials.
Paulus specializes in the area of methodological innovation, specifically in the use of new technologies and adaptation of language-based analysis methods. She holds a Ph.D. in instructional systems technology from Indiana University, an M.A. in applied linguistics from Ohio University and a B.A. in English and philosophy from Franklin College.
She has over 15 years of experience teaching research methods at the graduate and undergraduate levels, as well as six years teaching English to international students. Since 2014, she has co-authored three books on the intersection of methodological and technological innovation. She is also a certified professional trainer for ATLAS.ti qualitative data analysis software.
In addition to her Fulbright Scholarship, Paulus was recently named as a 2022 Provost’s Academy Scholar at ETSU. Established in 2021, the Provost’s Academy provides leadership experiences and opportunities to ETSU faculty interested in learning more about the services and responsibilities of the Office of the Provost. Scholars selected for the Academy spend one year working toward completion of a project identified as a critical need in the Provost’s Office, and also receive individual leadership coaching and professional development opportunities.
“I am delighted and proud of Dr. Trena Paulus for her selection to receive this prestigious honor,” said Kimberly D. McCorkle, ETSU provost and senior vice president for academics. “Her record of teaching and scholarship in the field of qualitative research is impressive. She is doing great work in advancing research initiatives for students and faculty at East Tennessee State University, and we know the expertise she will share during her tenure as a Fulbright Scholar will be a great benefit to the students and faculty at Adam Mickiewicz University for years to come.”
Fulbright Scholar Awards provide unique opportunities for scholars to teach and conduct research abroad. Fulbright scholars also play a critical role in U.S. public diplomacy, establishing long-term relationships between people and nations. Alumni include 61 Nobel laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 76 MacArthur fellows and thousands of leaders and world-renowned experts in academia and many other fields across the private, public and non-profit sectors.